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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The building located Place du Marché in Le Malzieu-Ville is a civil building raised in the 2nd quarter of the 17th century, as evidenced by the date of 1653 (or possibly 1671) engraved on the front of the main door. This building, of remarkable height, occupies the end of an island and has three facades, two of which are coated. The south facade, with a large granite apparatus, is rhythmized by denticle support cords and two bay spans. The entrance door, disentangled but richly carved, has a doric pilaster frame, a pediment pierced by an oculus flanked by volutes, and a ball-shaped acroterus. Changes to the ground floor in the 20th century, particularly for a hat shop, have altered some original berries.

The north facade, crepy and partly dating from the 19th century, has a tower of stairs in screws accessible by a door with similar motifs to those of the main entrance: oculus pediment, volutes and spherical acrota. On the days of the staircase, with chamfered frames, and a large attic window equipped with a pulley highlight the functional aspect of the building. The facade is blind, contrasting with the roof with overflowing long panels, resting on chevrons. Inside, a wooden fireplace replaced an old stone fireplace on the ground floor. The two doors, with identical decorations (pillars, pediments, diamond-shaped patterns and diamond tips), illustrate the stylistic unit of the building.

Ranked a historic monument since 1974 for its two doors, this building embodies 17th century Lozerian domestic architecture, combining classical rigour (doric influence) and local decorative elements. The engraved date, although partially illegible, and the sculptural details (oculus, volutes, acroters) make it a remarkable testimony of the craft of the era. Its commercial use in the 20th century left traces, but the structure preserves original elements such as stylized throat crosses and stair tower, revealing the constructive techniques of the period.

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